In this instance, the little people, three little people, who love nothing more than to pull through our neighborhood fast food restaurant to grab a kid's meal.
We do so about once a week, sometimes two. If you see our arsenal of tiny kid's toys you can do the math on how often times the power of three we drive in the fast food lane.
We've found it's not the food they crave, but the plastic toys attached to this week's theme. The fact that it is Stars Wars or Hotwheels makes it all the more mission critical. I won't begin to tell you how many times I've had to walk into the restaurant and exchange a Strawberry Shortcake lip gloss for the boy toy of the week. A Mommy's work is never done.
I noticed my friend Peter had...
this story posted on his facebook page: one California supervisor wants to ban fast food restaurants from selling toys with fast food meals. In Santa Clara County the local official wants to prevent fast food restaurants from giving away inexpensive toys with kids' orders because he thinks they entice kids to eat high-calorie foods that may contribute to childhood obesity.
How can this county leader blame childhood obesity on a Yoda bobblehead? It seems a little over the top. If anyone wanted to ban Happy Meal toys it would be the parents who have to pick them up, watch them multiply, and eventually bag them for purchase at a yard sale. (For future reference you can make a nice profit on Ninja Turtle figurines)
Yes, there is a lot of work involved after the toys leave their birth home.
But, I would never try to ban these Happy Meal toys. They are part of childhood, however unhealthy the food attached to the toy weighs in. Moderation, right?
Here's another confession, sometimes I keep the girl prize all to myself. Living with three boys and a husband, you take the pink and the girly where and when you can get it.
Banning Happy Meal toys seems a bit silly to me. Let the little kids and the grown kids have their toys. What do you think?
3 comments:
I am normally too cheap for Happy Meals and not in favor of the "entitlement" attitude that I see come from them sometimes, but the Star Wars toys got me! I was so excited when my son got Darth Vader and we nearly finished our collection with the Millennium Falcon! lol And happy meals with chicken nuggets, apples and milk aren't that bad, right? ;)
I know some weeks we do not do Happy Meals, b/c it adds up. Fo a while I boycotted Mc'd's after watching Super Size Me, now we have a bit of a compromise.
The toys are fun, but the guys definitely know it is a privilege and a treat. Star Wars is so cool. we got R2D2 and Yoda last week. :-)
Ha ha! Super Size Me put me on a McD's hiatus for a while, too. But admittedly, I actually like a little McDonald's now and then. And I'm all for the milk and apple slices for the kids, too.
As for the toys...sheesh. I'm torn. Remember the Happy Meal toys of our day? I'm remembering a certain hand puppet made of plastic (as in plastic bag material) with a printed picture of the big purple Grimace character on it. They've come a long way.
I don't mind nearly so much if it's a toy that can actually be played with. Alvin and the Chipmunks and Star Wars have been big hits with our boys. But when it's junky stuff that has no real purpose other than to promote the latest kids movie...I can do without. I also feel a little guilty about all the wasted plastic...sigh.
And yes, we go through a drive through at about the same rate you do. :D
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